Trial set for former firefighter accused of downloading child porn

October 4, 2012

A 2013 trial date has been set for former Benton firefighter Timothy Ryan Bodkin for allegedly downloading hundreds of images of child pornography to a computer in his home.
Bodkin, 38, was released from the Saline County jail on Aug. 31, after a family member paid a $200,000 sheriff's bond. He is facing a thousand counts of felony possession of child pornography.
Attorneys for Bodkin appeared before Saline County Judge Bobby McCallister on Monday, and a two-day jury trial for Bodkin was set for Feb. 26 and 27.
Benton attorney Brent Standridge is representing Bodkin and Saline County Deputy Prosecutor Rebecca Bush is representing the state.
Bodkin was arrested on June 19 after the Saline County Sheriff's Office received information from the Arkansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that a person in Benton was downloading child pornography. The task force is comprised of investigators with the Saline County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas State Police, Pine Bluff Police and Homeland Security.
During the investigation Lt. Mike Frost said search warrants were obtained for the seizure of a computer allegedly owned by Bodkin.
He said the ICAC reportedly discovered numerous images of child pornography on the computer.
Bodkin reportedly was in Eureka Springs at that time, but was contacted by members of the ICAC Task Force in Northwest Arkansas. HE later was taken into custody at a bus station in North Little Rock. Frost told The Saline Courier at the time that the investigation would be continuing and said there was no indication that any of the images involve local children.
In a July 12 hearing in Benton District Court, Standridge requested a "significant" bond reduction. Judge Mike Robinson, however, denied the request. Bush pointed to interviews between Bodkin and detectives in which she said he allegedly admitted downloading the pornographic material.
"Would you be surprised that (Timothy Bodkin) has confessed that he downloaded and searched for child pornography?" Bush asked retired Benton firefighter Richard Childress during the July 12 hearing.
Bush then asked whether Childress would be surprised to learn that many of the child pornography images allegedly found on Timothy Bodkin's computer "showed small children in bondage."
Childress said all of the events had taken him by surprise.
"I also have a (Saline County Sheriff's Office) detective here that can testify," Bush said to Judge Robinson. "She is prepared to tell you that (Timothy Bodkin) did in fact confess to downloading and searching for child pornography on his computer."a